A funeral service for Castro will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday in Hanley Funeral Home in New Dorp. Visiting hours will be Monday from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m., according to Dawn Reilly, Castro's sister.

Reilly said Castro acted like a father-figure and a partner-in-crime to her 18-year-old son.

"He became an uncle to my son when he was 14-years-old," Reilly said. "Vinnie has been there for my son. I don't know what to say to my son who lost an uncle. The laughter they would bring; the comedy they would bring. I can go on the rest of my life with memories, but it's never going to be the same because Vinnie is not here."

Police are investigating Castro's death in relation to marijuana sales. A law enforcement source said a customer went to Castro's apartment to buy marijuana, discovered the body and notified police.

Reilly claims Castro was not a "Staten Island drug dealer," and worked for a moving company in Manhattan.

Castro, Reilly said, was the kind of person who "gave rides to someone who needed it," and "gave food to someone who was hungry."

"There's no one in the world who is that kind," Reilly said. "That's just who he is."

In lieu of flowers, Castro's family asks that people donate to the ASPCA in his name because he was an animal lover.

"Vinnie Castro is the greatest person that ever was," said Reilly. "He's smart, articulate, he's charming and I can't picture a world without him being here."